We weren’t really expecting to find some of the best sushi we’ve ever had at an off-the-grid eco-friendly glamping resort just off Highway 1 in Big Sur, but we sure did. Having booked one of Treebones’ Mongolian-inspired yurts for a two-night stopover on a Cali road trip (it’s an excellent place for those of us who like the idea of camping but prefer stable walls and a proper bed — a non-camper’s sort of camping, if you wish), we had all sorts of fancy ideas about visiting local restaurants while there, but that all changed when we stumbled across Carlos’ sushi shack next to Treebones’ main lodge on our first day.

Carlos’ place (officially known as the Wild Coast Sushi Bar) is the only sushi restaurant for 60 miles but any ideas we might have had about the need for competition to keep raw-fish-rollers on their toes were proved wrong as soon as we bit into one of the burrito rolls, a spicy tuna, crabmeat, tempura shrimp, avocado and asparagus concoction wrapped in soy paper. The fish comes fresh from the bay (which is visible from the sushi shack on clear days: on our first visit we had the perfect view of a glorious sunset; the next evening we were wrapped up in a fog so dense it was like eating in a cloud) and the roll was so delicious that we promptly went on to try pretty much everything else on the menu before returning the next evening for a second helping of our favorites. But we’re still way off having our fill — we’re currently plotting a return trip to Big Sur just for the sake of the sushi.